updated 01:24 pm EDT, Tue June 19, 2012

Pay with Square gets easier local search

Mobile payment company Square has made a series of updates to its services. The most important of these is a new loyalty program available to businesses, who can now distribute virtual cards to shoppers using the Pay with Square app for iOS or Android. Each visit to a business earns a stamp on that shop's card, leading up to rewards such as discounts or free goods; a reward can also be given to new customers.

Pay with Square has also been updated to make it easier to search for local businesses that take payment through Square. The Square Register app for the iPad has meanwhile been updated in several different ways, including the additions of item categorization and customizable percent and dollar discounts for any offer. New in-app reporting tracks sales trends, which can be broken down by periods such as hours, time of day, or the day of the week.

All of Square's apps are free downloads, but the company charges businesses a fee for each transaction.